Advanced training for more experienced skippers building on the RYA Coastal Skipper course. This course equips you to navigate safely on ocean passages. It allows some time for revision of the basics and then moves on to advanced navigation techniques.

This course will take your theory knowledge to the standard required for the RYA Yachtmaster Ocean, concentrating on advanced navigation and meteorology skills.

As with the Yachtmaster Navigation shorebased course, the RYA’s specially designed chart plotter software will be used during the course to give you a realistic taste of modern electronic navigation.

Students in the southern hemisphere can take advantage of the southern hemisphere version of our training materials, ensuring that your course is relevant to you.

The course is taught over 40 hours with three exam papers. Intensive week-long course.

The course is designed to provide a working knowledge of first aid for skippers of small craft working within 60 miles of a safe haven. The syllabus is based on the recommendations of the Health and Safety Executive and the Department of Transport. Upon successful completion of the course an RYA First Aid Certificate is issued valid for 3 years. This certificate fulfills the requirements of the Department Of Transport Code of Practice for Small Commercial Vessels in area category 2, 3 & 4.

Course Type: Practical, theory

Required Experience: None

Assumed Knowledge:

Course Content: Based on the recommendations of the Health and Safety Executive and the Department of Transport.

Ability After Course: A working knowledge of first aid for skippers of small craft working within 60 miles of a safe haven.

An interesting and informative day, a must for all sailors and powerboat users. The course will include, safety equipment, knowledge about flares, a practical session of liferafts in a swimming pool and the prevention and treatment of hypothermia. This course meets the RYA/DoT criteria for those seeking a commercial endorsement to their Yachtmaster Certificate.

Course Type: Practical, theory

Required Experience:

Assumed Knowledge:

Course Content: The course will include, safety equipment, knowledge about flares, a practical session of liferafts in a swimming pool and the prevention and treatment of hypothermia.

This course will pay for itself several times over in both time & money! Most RNLI call outs are for easily preventable breakdowns, so you will learn the basics of maintaining your engine & simple troubleshooting procedures to keep you going & the RNLI smiling. Not only that, but you will learn simple maintenance, that can add years to the life of your engine. With a combination of hands on practical & classroom theory, you will go away with the necessary skills to restart a stopped engine at sea & the routine maintenance tasks that keep your engine in top condition.

Course Type: Theory

Required Experience: None

Assumed Knowledge: None

Course Content: Basic maintenance and engine care

Ability After Course: Awareness of the main systems of a marine diesel engine. Able to take simple measures to prevent mechanical breakdown at sea and rectify defects which do not require workshop support

To get the most out of doing a Navigation course like this it is best to follow it up with either a practical Sail or Power Cruising course. Also having VHF Short Range Radio, First Aid, Diesel engine or Sea Survival done can be beneficial as you can develop these skill in parallel with your other Skipper Skills.

The courses are designed to help learn the skills of navigation, pilotage, passage planning and meteorology. They are great as stand alone courses, but also complement our various practical courses.

Whether you are a sailor or drive a power boat, our shorebased courses equip would-be and experienced skippers with enough knowledge, at least in theory, to go afloat and take charge. The next logical step is to attend one of our practical courses.

It is recomended that the Yachtmaster Offshore Preparation is completed before the exam as this gives the candidate a higher chance of success.

The RYA Yachtmaster Offshore Certificate of Competence Syllabus - Yachtmaster Offshore Exam Syllabi (RYA MCA) - Candidates may be given the opportunity to demonstrate knowledge or competence in the areas listed below

In each section the examiner will expect to see the candidate take full responsibility for the management of the yacht and crew. In RYA Yachtmaster Offshore exams the candidate will be expected to demonstrate competence based on broad experience.

International Regulations for preventing Collisions at Sea

Questions will be confirmed to the International Regulations and although Yachtmaster candidates must be aware of the existence of Local Regulations they will not be expected to memorise specific local regulations:

Safety

Yachtmaster Candidates will be expected to know what safety equipment should be carried on board a Motorboat, based either on the recommendations in RYA booklet C8, the Special Regulations of the ORC or the Codes of Practice for the Safety of Small Commercial Vessels. In particular, candidates must know the responsibilities of a skipper in relation to:

Safety harnesses

Lifejackets

Distress flares

Fire prevention and fighting

Liferafts

Knowledge of rescue procedures. Helicopter rescue.

Boat Handling

Candidates for Yachtmaster Offshore exam will be expected to answer questions or demonstrate ability in more complex situations and will also be expected to show a higher level of expertise:

Coming to and weighing anchor, under power in various conditions of wind and tide

All berthing and unberthing situations in various conditions of wind and tide

Recovery of man overboard

Towing, under open sea conditions and in confined areas

Boat handling in confined areas

Boat handling in heavy weather Helmsmanship to best advantage Use of warps for securing in an alongside berth and for shifting berth or winding

General Seamanship & Maintenance

Properties, use and care of synthetic fibre ropes

Knots

General deck-work, at sea and in harbour

Engine operations and routine checks

Improvisation of jury rigs following gear failure Responsibilities of Skipper

Ability to make passage planning decisions based on forecast information Signals

Course programme

Exam Type: Practical may have theory assessment.

Required Experience: A restricted (VHF only) Radio Operators Certificate or a GMDSS Short Range Certificate or higher grade of marine radio certificate. A valid first aid certificate. 50 days, 2,500 miles including at least 5 passages over 60 miles measured along the rhumb line from the port of departure to the destination, acting as skipper for at least two of these passages and including two which have involved overnight passages. 5 days experience as skipper. At least half this mileage and passages must be in tidal waters. All qualifying seatime must be within 10 years prior to the exam.